Ching Chung Taoist Temple

Within the 1991 built walls of what is now called the Evergreen Taoist Church of Australia, the largest Taoist place of worship in the Southern Hemisphere, rituals that have been observed for thousands of years take place in four exquisitely ornate halls: the Hall of Three Purities, The Hall of Three Masters, Hall of the Guardian Angels and the smaller more modest Hall of Ancestors. All were built based on Taoist principles and beliefs on how to conduct a life in harmony with nature, stemming from the works of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.

Visitors are most welcome to come and observe respectfully and this is well worth the chance to plunge into an ancient place a world away from outside, with priests and priestesses with plaited hair and in centuries old robes going about their work and following rituals. And on Chinese New Year the celebrations here are a world away from the commercially orientated inner city ones.